close to public transport (preferable train)- hub and I both work in the CBD so prefer not spend too much time to commute (less than 40 mins one way) to save the time for the young family

Good public primary school around the area

We are not too fussed if it is a house or a townhouse and which side of the city. We have never lived in Melb but heard good things about East side.
I suppose if we really want to move to East in the future (5 years), we can always turn this one into an investment.

Below are the suburbs we have narrowed down so far:

Newport/Williamstown

Couburg/Preston

Rosanna

Moorabin

Any opinions or thoughts of these suburbs or other recommendation would be greatly appreciated.

I know you were looking inner, but in Melbourne, unless you go for a blue chip area it's simply not worth it to buy in an inner suburb.

Inner Melbourne (particularly the north) in no way justifies the obscene pricing. It's a different story when talking about the million dollar plus properties in places like Hawthorn and Kew, but areas such as Newport and Coburg simply don't live up to their price tags.

Try Sunbury, spend 400k and pocket the rest! There are some gorgeous areas west of the railway line, and it's only 40min to travel to the city on the Metro line. If you're set on living east of the city, Diamond Creek's a good option, but you would have to pay a little bit more. Sure you get a slightly longer commute, but you get a better lifestyle and don't have to worry about mortgage stress.

I know you were looking inner, but in Melbourne, unless you go for a blue chip area it's simply not worth it to buy in an inner suburb.

Inner Melbourne (particularly the north) in no way justifies the obscene pricing. It's a different story when talking about the million dollar plus properties in places like Hawthorn and Kew, but areas such as Newport and Coburg simply don't live up to their price tags.

Try Sunbury, spend 400k and pocket the rest! There are some gorgeous areas west of the railway line, and it's only 40min to travel to the city on the Metro line. If you're set on living east of the city, Diamond Creek's a good option, but you would have to pay a little bit more. Sure you get a slightly longer commute, but you get a better lifestyle and don't have to worry about mortgage stress.

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... . buyers can not afford blue chip and this is why areas such as Coburg etc. start to move, they are affordable sort of, close proximity to the city. What is on the nose today can become fashionable tomorrow, this happens in major capital cities, just look at what happened to Redfern in Sydney once a dump, now trendy, desirable expensive area.

... . buyers can not afford blue chip and this is why areas such as Coburg etc. start to move, they are affordable sort of, close proximity to the city. What is on the nose today can become fashionable tomorrow, this happens in major capital cities, just look at what happened to Redfern in Sydney once a dump, now trendy, desirable expensive area.

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Fair enough, from an investment perspective you've got a great point, but as a PPOR the Coburg/Preston/Northcote/Brunswick type areas simply lack appeal. Sunshine is much more affordable, still close proximity to the city (15 minutes on a non express train), and gives you nicer housing stock and what I would consider to be a lifestyle at least as good. The aforementioned non blue chip inner areas sit in an uncanny valley where you pay solid $$$ but don't really get the lifestyle to boot - at least that's the way I see it...

Fair enough, from an investment perspective you've got a great point, but as a PPOR the Coburg/Preston/Northcote/Brunswick type areas simply lack appeal. Sunshine is much more affordable, still close proximity to the city (15 minutes on a non express train), and gives you nicer housing stock and what I would consider to be a lifestyle at least as good. The aforementioned non blue chip inner areas sit in an uncanny valley where you pay solid $$$ but don't really get the lifestyle to boot - at least that's the way I see it...

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Primary residence a totally different beast, lifestyle has nothing whatsoever to do with making money sort of

Any opinions or thoughts of these suburbs or other recommendation would be greatly appreciated.

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When I was looking for an IP in Melbourne I went through Rosanna and Macleod and really liked them but they were over my budget. I would not mind living near the Rosanna, Macleod or Watsonia train stations. It would be good to be near a shopping centre that is not Northlands

Rosanna and Macleod are very nice but:
1. High school are no good unless you get into out of zone Viewbank college
2. 4 bedroom house is more like 1M+, definitely nothing to be found for under 900K.
3. Consider Greensborough area which is close to Montmorency college. The school gets better every day, you can walk to Watsonia station and lots of houses under 800K

When I was looking for an IP in Melbourne I went through Rosanna and Macleod and really liked them but they were over my budget. I would not mind living near the Rosanna, Macleod or Watsonia train stations. It would be good to be near a shopping centre that is not Northlands

Yeah that part of reservoir Royal parade I would be careful there is triangle near strathemeron st where the housing commission flats are.

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Plenty of Melbourne areas have a 'Bronx' but the north is just chock full of commission. Flats, townhouses, rows and rows of houses, there's commission everywhere in the north, even in the so called nicer pricier suburbs. The commission stench only really dissipates once you get to the Hurstbridge line suburbs.

If OP likes the style of home in Reservoir then Sunshine West is a better bet. For Reservoir $$$ you may be able to get into Matthews Hill.

St Helena college has a good name- Eltham North and Diamond Creek should get you into the zone.

Yeah that part of reservoir Royal parade I would be careful there is triangle near strathemeron st where the housing commission flats are.

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Just looked at the linked Reservoir house-looks similar to the style of house one would buy in Norlane, though it's brick instead of weatherboard. Likely ex-commie, but looks like it was sold off a while back and well cared for by the private owners since. Late 80s/early 90s extension, giving a bit of depth to the floor plan.

Fair enough, from an investment perspective you've got a great point, but as a PPOR the Coburg/Preston/Northcote/Brunswick type areas simply lack appeal. Sunshine is much more affordable, still close proximity to the city (15 minutes on a non express train), and gives you nicer housing stock and what I would consider to be a lifestyle at least as good. The aforementioned non blue chip inner areas sit in an uncanny valley where you pay solid $$$ but don't really get the lifestyle to boot - at least that's the way I see it...

I know plenty of hard working European Asian and African migrants though. Why don't you come on down, take a look around, who knows, you might just change your tune

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Saying that sunshine has the same housing stock as Preston, northcote or Brunswick? Blind maybe?
That the lifestyle is similar to those gentrified areas? Seriously?
Yes you are correct that sunshine has more affordable housing, some areas have some period homes, evident in Albion also, but the lifestyle and feel of the suburb are far from that the OP mentioned.
Then you go as far to say to buy in Sunbury and pocket the other 400k. Really? OP is talking about city ring suburbs and you bring up sunbury. Why? Because they opened up a heap of land in Ansett town so you can add 40 mins a day to your commute and are stuck in no mans land.
Mate your advice is all over the joint.
I rarely disagree with many members but I feel given OP is not from Melb your advice is way off.

Before you try to tell me otherwise.
I'm 30.
Grew up in oak park.
Spent 16 years in Glenroy oak park side.
Father lived in Tottenham (Footscray) along the freight line.
Grandparents lived in Sunbury and goonawarra over the past 20 years.
Know all northern/western subs like back of my hand.
One of my IP's is in deer park and i work in Essendon, fiancé at Sunshine hospital. (Sounds like this is your life I know haha).
You don't need to tell me to come down and have a look mate..
I will agree with you that diamond creek is a great lifestyle suburb but as far as accessibility goes there is only one main freeway in and out, the ring road and greensborough etc are at the very end of it. So the trade off is that.

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